Inside Bloor Street’s New, Exceptionally Swanky Hermes Flagship

For months last fall, the forner Williams-Sonoma plot on Bloor was disguised as a giant orange box, wrapped up like an Hermes scarf, as workers stripped the space to its bones. The label’s new 6,000 sq.ft. home is over double the size of its previous digs down the street, and containsr all manner of luxurious finishes and celeb-approved accessories (although you still have to be an actual celeb to get your hands on a coveted Birkin bag). The official opening last November involved an unabashedly extravagant carnival-themed soiree at the Brick Works, with a surprised performance from noted handbag addict, Drake.

French architecture firm RDAI, who have been designing Hermes stores since the 1970s, was in charge of transforming the space into two floors of pure Parisian elegance -with a few Toronto touches, of course. “Every Hermes store takes into account each city’s distinct climates, people and traditions,” says Jennifer Carter, president and CEO of Hermes Canada. They’ve also added a line of Toronto-only products, like a customizable hockey bag…